No, all IR transmitters and receivers are not the same. Yes you would be able to control say a TV or audio system directly from the Tablet. I am an IR expert and if the programming is done for the Tablet the IR will transmit as far as you would like it to, say 50 to 60 feet. I make some of the fastest transmitting and longest distance IR in the world. I also make IR transmitters that will even work in sun light. The IR transmit and receive will be the easy part. It is mostly up to the community to make the control programs. The codes and learning of the IR is stored in the module. The IR portion is controlled with hex strings similar to sending and receiving to a serial com port. Thanks